


Choice

by dontcare77ghj



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, M/M, Multi, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:13:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontcare77ghj/pseuds/dontcare77ghj
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 80





	Choice

Steve x reader x Bucky

Note: I’m not very good at staying gone.

When everyone was born, somewhere on their body was the name of their soul mate. The person who was supposed to be your perfect match. In your case, when you had been born you had two names. Born with two perfect matches. Featured on your collar bone were the names James Barnes and Steven Rogers.

As you’d come to understand what the names meant, you found yourself constantly studying their names. James name was written in his swirly handwriting, every letter was connected by loops and swirls. But Stevens handwriting was easier to read. It was very simple print, that almost seemed to slant to the side.

The handwriting made you wonder who they were as people. Made you wonder what they would be like when you met them.

Before her death, your mother had made sure you always covered your names. It was uncommon, but not unheard of, for anyone to have more than one name and there were people who did discriminate those with more than one name.

It was 2010, you were 25 and living in Chicago, studying at the university of Chicago. You had finished classes for the day and all you wanted was to go home, change, and eat some cold ramen. Locking your door behind you, you made a beeline for your bedroom wanting to complete part two of your plan.

You’d just thrown off your sweater, leaving you in your jeans and singlet, when a hand wrapped around your mouth and nose and another around your waist.

A scream escaped your throat as you struggled against the hands holding you. Your captor let out a deep grunt before saying something in another language. From the corner of your eye you saw a tall man walk towards you with a needle in hand.

The man held you tighter to him as the other stepped closer. You’d barely had time to flinch before the second man held your neck in place and injected the needle. The effects were almost instantaneous as your body became heavy.

The last thing you heard as your body sagged in the first man’s grip was,

“Hail HYDRA.”

When you awoke you couldn’t move. You were crouched into a sitting position. Lifting your arms, you saw your wrists and elbows bound together with zip ties, after a quick assessment you noticed your legs were bound in a similar way.

You let out a muffled whimper when you finally realized where you were. You had been bundled into a crate. And it was moving.

You weren’t sure how long you were in the box. You weren’t sure where you were going. You were having a hard-enough time quelling a panic attack to try and focus on anything else.

The box stopped moving for a second as you heard what you assumed to be a large door opening and you were placed down.

“Soldat. Postaraysya ne slomat’ yeye.” You heard before the door slammed, causing you to flinch. You held your breath, willing yourself not to move an inch as you heard footsteps moving towards you.

You slammed your eyes shut as the lid of the crate was opened. A pitiful whimper escaped you when a pair of arms reached in and lifted you out of the crate.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” A deep voice said into your ear as you were placed down. Slowly, you risked opening your eyes to see a brunette man kneeling in front of you. “Did anyone hurt you?” He asked, taking the gag out of your mouth.

You didn’t say anything, instead opting to shake your head.

“You don’t have to be scared of me, Y/N.” He said, taking out a knife and cutting the ties binding your legs.

“How, how do you know my name?” You whispered, watching intently as he released you. The man didn’t say anything as he lifted his sleeve to reveal your name. “So, which are you? Steven or James?” You asked as he freed your wrists.

“I don’t know.” He said, rubbing your wrists in his hands. “I don’t know.”

Winter. You couldn’t keep calling your soul mate, ‘The man’, and so the two of you decided you’d call him Winter.

Winter had explained everything to you that day. He’d been there for years, often being frozen for decades at a time, and his mind had been wiped every time they believed he was remembering anything of his old life.

Winter didn’t know his name. He knew he had two soul mates, you being one of them, but he didn’t know if his other soul mate was James or Steven because HYDRA had removed the arm with their name.

He’d screwed up on a previous mission before they’d taken you. His handler had decided that the best way to keep him under control was to bring you here. You were to be his reward and his punishment. If anything went wrong from now on, you would be punished but if he did as he was told you would be kept safe.

The first few months had been awkward between the two of you. You didn’t know how to interact with him. Yes, he was your soul mate but a part of you was angry because he was the reason you were HERE. He was the reason you were now living in hell. It was only after he’d returned from a mission bleeding from multiple areas that your interactions changed.

At first, your interactions were making sure the other was okay. Whether it be after one of his missions gone ‘well’ and you’d help him with any injuries or when a mission would go bad, he would patch you up and whenever either of you would wake up screaming in the night, you’d be there for the other.

As time went on your interactions continued to change from ‘room mates’ to friends and now to lovers. He was your soul mate; he didn’t choose for this to happen. It was not his fault.

You’d been tapped in this hell hole for what you assumed to be three and a half years. Time was almost non-existent in your windowless cell but you’d tried to keep track of your time here. You wondered some days, if anyone was still looking for you.

“Winter? What are you doing?” You murmured, sitting up in bed to see him staring at the wall. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m okay, kotenok.” He assured you, giving you a small smile. “Just thinking.”

“Care to share?” You asked, resting your head on his shoulder. Winters arm wrapped around your shoulders and pulled you in closer.

“I have another mission tomorrow.” He said after a minute. “They want to take you too.”

“Why? They’ve never brought me along on one of your missions.” You said confused.

“They said this was a special target. That this way, I’d remember the consequences if I couldn’t do it.” Winter told you, arm squeezing you tightly.

“Pretend I’m not there.” You said, taking his metal hand in yours. “This is a normal mission and all you need to do is get the job done and not get hurt.”

There would be so many people who would find some offense with what you just said. Winters purpose in this hell hole was to kill those he was told to and before you joined him in this hole, if he didn’t, he would be hurt.

You hated that his job here was to kill but it wasn’t as if you could ask him to quit. It didn’t work like that; you would rather he came back to you alive and uninjured.

“I never wanted this for you.” Winter murmured. “I never wanted you brought into this all.”

“It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t your choice.” You said, pressing a kiss onto his shoulder. “We don’t have any choices here.” You added now joining him in his blank staring at the wall adjacent.

Winters information had not been wrong. The day after the two of you stared blankly at your cells wall, he had been taken for a mission and you had been brought with him.

The two of you had been brought to a HYDRA safe house, along with two other men who only spoke Russian. You were in New York. Before being taken, you’d had a jar of loose change on your mantle to visit the city.

You never thought you’d visit this way.

You’d been in New York for almost a week. You weren’t sure what Winter had been doing during his days. His days were spent away from you and during your nights he refused to speak of his job.

It was day six of being in New York. Winter had left at the crack of dawn with one of the Russian men. This was routine at this point, he would leave with one man and leave you behind with the other. You didn’t know who he was all you knew was he didn’t speak Russian and he had a gun on him constantly.

You were sitting on the small mattress you and Winter had been sharing for a week, reading a book you’d found in the house, when the man’s phone pinged.

“Chyort!” He yelled, throwing his phone and barrelling towards you. His hand buried itself in your hair and dragged you into a standing position. A short shriek of pain left you before you silenced yourself as he placed a knife on your neck.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed in that position facing the door. Any time you so much as breathed too deeply; the knife would be pushed deeper into your neck.

Everything happened so fast.

There was suddenly a loud gunshot, warm liquid sprayed your back and dripped from your neck. The man behind you collapsed loudly to the floor and your hand reached up and clutched your now bleeding neck.

“Kotenok!” You heard over the ringing in your ears. Towels were wrapped around your neck and you look up to see Winter. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know he had you. I didn’t know he’d cut you.” He said, placing your hands on your neck. “I have to fix this. Hold that tightly.”

Winter quickly grabbed a first aid kit and quickly got to work.

“It’s not that deep, you don’t need a hospital.” He assured you, closing the shallow wound.

“Winter, what’s going on?” You choked out and coughed harshly.

“Try not to talk too much, kotenok.” Winter said, rubbing your back. “We need to get out of here. And quickly.”

“Winter. You need to talk to me.” You said as the two of you stood. His hand gripped yours as the two of you began running out of the door.

“James.” Winter told you.

“What?” You asked as the two of you continued to run.

“I remember, I’m James.”

The two of you had run that day. Winter, James, had forced the two of you to run as far as you could before night hit. You’d ended up in a warehouse complex just as the sun had set.

“He knew me. The target he knew me. It was Steven.” James told you that night as the two of you sat huddled together. “I’ve been remembering little things from the past, my past, these past few days.” He admitted.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You croaked.

“I didn’t want the agents to hear. They would’ve wiped me again. I’m sorry.” He whispered. “I didn’t kill him.”

“I know.” You said, pressing your face into his shoulder.

“I made the choice not kill him.”

“I know.”

“I made the choice.”

“I’m so proud of you.” You whispered, leaning over to kiss him. “You know they’re going to come after us.”

“They won’t find us.” He promised you, pulling you in closer. “They’ll never find us again.”

Eight months. The two of you had been running for eight months. You stole clothes and money from wherever you could. James found someone to make you both new ids and you’d flown to Romania.

The two of you had argued for a while as to whether or not you’d find Steven. You both wanted to find him, you wanted to meet him, but in the end the two of you agreed it was far too dangerous to go and find him.

It had been two months since you’d found a place to live. It was a crummy, one room apartment in a rundown area but it was better than the cell you’d shared for three years.

“Are you sure you can’t stay in bed?” You whined, watching James get dressed.

“I’m sure, kotenok.” He smiled, slipping a red long sleeve over his head. “The woman who owns the fruit stand said she’ll pay me to fix her tables.”

“Mrs Lakatos.” You reminded him.

“Yes, Mrs Lakatos. It’ll be some extra money to add to our squirrel fund.” He said. “We’re not going to be able to stay here much longer.”

“I know. I get to choose this time.” You smiled, stretching on the mattress.

“Do I get to know your list?” James asked, slipping on his jacket and gloves. “Tell me we’re at least going to be on Earth?”

“Yes, we’ll be on Earth.” You rolled your eyes. “I promise I’ll pitch my list once I’ve narrowed it down a bit more.” Standing up you pressed yourself into his chest. “Now go, Mrs Lakatos will kill you if you’re late.”

“She won’t kill me. She’ll throw fruit at me and make me pay for it.” He laughed, pressing his lips to yours. “While I’m gone, think about trying to sleep for me.” He said, his thumb tracing the dark circles under your eyes.

“I’ll think about it.” You nodded. “Be careful, Winter.”

“Always am, kotenok.” He said. “’ll be back soon. I love you.”

“Love you too.” You called as he left. You locked the door and checked the windows were secured before you crawled back into the sleeping bag.

Non-reader POV

Two months after the attack

The avengers had a rule. They had a lot of rules but there was one rule they all agreed upon and did their best not to break. Soul mates are sacred. No matter what, as a team they all agreed to help each other when it came to soul mates.

Soul mates were to be protected.

So, when Steve came to the team begging for their help in locating Bucky and his other soul mate, Y/N, the team eagerly agreed.

They’d been searching and destroying HYDRA bases for two months non-stop. So far, their search for information on Steve’s soul mates had turned up empty handed but the up side was they were destroying HYDRA one base at time.

“Rogers I just became our favourite person.” Natasha said over the coms.

“Unlikely.” Tony scoffed. “Bruce and I just found files that will make his day.”

“You know what’s better than files? Videos.” Natasha said. “Security footage to be exact.”

“We can talk about your contest later.” Steve interrupted. “Get what you need to get and get out of there now.”

“Feel like we just got scolded by a teacher.” Tony commented.

“I can still hear you, Tony.” Steve sighed.

“That was the point, Rogers.”

Half an hour later the team were on the quinjet and leaving behind a burning Hydra building. Natasha was loading onto the screen the security footage as Tony handed over the files to Steve.

“There’s files that date back to days after he fell from the train up until two months ago. After his attack on you, he disappeared along with her.” Tony said, tapping a photo of Y/N attached to the file. “There’s brief notes on Y/N throughout the years before 2010, looks like they were keeping tabs on her from since she was born. In 2010 is where the notes become files.”

“They took her.” Steve said, a lump in throat as he scanned through the pages.

“On October 17th.” Natasha cut in. Without another word she pressed a key on her computer and the security footage played for the team. They all watched as two men carried a crate in Bucky’s cell. “Soldier, try not to break her.” Natasha translated.

Steve felt the lump in his throat rise as he watched Bucky free their terrified soul mate. His eyes stung as he watched her flinch at Bucky’s touch and when Bucky confessed to not knowing who he was.

Natasha showed a few more tapes that showed both Y/N and Bucky’s treatment at the base before Steve began aggressively flipping through the files in hand.

“What’cha doing there, Cap?” Clint asked, eyeing the blonde cautiously.

“Trying to find out who authorised it. Y/N’s kidnapping, their torture, all of it, so I can kill them.” Steve stated, still flipping.

“That’s not the most patriotic thing to say, Cap.” Tony said.

“Not Captain America talking.” Steve said, looking up and right at the man. “This is all Steve Rogers.”

Steve only had two things on his mind. Kill those who had hurt his soul mates and find Y/N and Bucky.

Reader POV

Now

A knock on the door jolted you awake. James had a key; James didn’t have a need to knock. You were much more awake and alert as you grabbed the gun from under the mattress and pushed yourself into the corner opposite your bed.

You did not move or make a sound as you watched with baited breath to see if the door would open. You heard the footsteps move away but you stayed in your position. Staying proved to be the correct decision as you heard the door begin to be picked.

You watched as the door opened and a red headed woman and blonde man entered.

“Don’t move.” You said as the man shut the door behind him. Both looked in your direction and raised their hands for you to see.

“We’re not here to hurt you.” The woman said. The blonde moved to take a step but you unclicked the safety and he stopped.

“We’re not going back.” You said, swallowing harshly against your heart in your throat as your finger moved to the trigger.

“Steven Rogers.” The blonde suddenly said. Your attention turned to him at the mention of your other soul mate. “My name is Steven Grant Rogers, but I prefer Steve.”

“Prove it.” You snapped, hand instantly reaching up to rub the man’s name on your neck. The man, ‘Steve’, slowly lowered his hands and pulled down his sleeves. Written on his arms was James Barnes and Y/N L/N.

“Believe me now?” He gave you a small smile. You nodded slowly but did not lower your gun. “This is my friend Natasha, we’re here to help you.”

“Who do you work for and how did you find us?” You asked, lowering the gun but not clicking the safety back on. “Were you followed?”

“You don’t have to worry about anyone following us.” Natasha said. “We have people watching the building and no one saw us come in.”

You let out a sigh before clicking the safety on and putting it on the bed. “How did you find us?” You repeated, crossing your arms over chest.

“Friends with a billionaire with technology that tracks people’s faces.” Steve shrugged. “I’ve been looking for you for months.”

Natasha then said she had to go but she’d ensure no-one of suspicious character would enter the building. Steve bid his friend goodbye and locked the door behind her as you sat on the bed.

“I was for finding you when we got out.” You said to the silent man. “I’d spent years studying your chicken scratch and all I’d wanted was to find you but Winter made a good argument about how we’d just put you in danger.”

“I don’t think you’d put me in any more danger than I do myself.” Steve said moving towards you.

“Well they ordered a hit on you, so we assumed you’d get hurt if we were around.” You shrugged, playing with your fingers. “It’s not been too bad; I now know things about you from before this.” You gestured to his muscles.

“He told you about me being a twig?” Steve chuckled.

“You sounded like a cute twig.” You smiled. “Though from what I’ve heard you could be a whiny little stick.”

“Jesus.” Steve laughed.

“How much do you know about what happened to us?” You asked after a minute.

“Everything.”

“Then you’ll know we’re really fucked up.” You said, not looking away from your hands. “And not really worth it.”

“I don’t believe that.” Steve said, shifting closer and taking one of your hands in his. “I really don’t think that.”

“You never were good at listening to warning signs, were you?” Winter said from behind you. “We are broken.”

“You’ve been through hell and back, but that doesn’t make you broken.” Steve said, looking at Winter and then at you.

“I’m a former assassin who has very little memories of much.” Winter scoffed, sitting on the couch opposite you.

“I have crippling anxiety and was kidnapped to be his insurance.” You added.

“We both wake up screaming more nights than not.” He nodded.

“The nights there’s no screaming is because most of time neither of us are sleeping, instead we’re watching the door.”

“We were tortured for years. And neither of us think we’re ever going to stop running.” James finished. “We’re broken, Steve, you don’t need us in your life.”

“Not in the least.” You agreed.

“I don’t agree with any of those statements.” Steve shook his head. “I think you’re both alive and you’ve experienced things no one should ever have to, but that does not mean you are broken. I’ve been trying to find you both for months because all I’ve ever wanted was to be with the two of you, to love the two of you, and I’m not going to leave without either of you.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“And I’m not the man you remember.”

“I look forward to getting to know both of you then. This is your choice in the end. It is your choice if you come with me. If you choose not to come with me, I will let you go. I will not chase after you and I will let you go.

But if you come with me, I will make it my life’s mission to protect you. I will be there to help you remember, to make you feel safe. If you come with me no one will ever hurt you like that again. I will make it my life’s mission to make you feel safe and to love you. But it is your choice.”

You and James shared a long, silent, look. You gave him a smile and he then nodded.

“I think that we’ve made our choice.”

“Stevie you’re staring again.” You mumbled, not opening your eyes yet. “It’s creepy.”

“It’s called gazing and it’s romantic.” He said, running his fingers down your spine. “And you love it.”

It had been two years since your decision. Steve had brought the two of you to New York. For the first few weeks, the two of you were quite anxious about it all. You were living in New York, in the Avengers tower, it was not the most inconspicuous of decisions.

Steve had noticed the signs of paranoia you both shared and it was only when he’d sat down with the two of you, that your anxiety was quelled.

Steve had killed Pierce and Rumlow. He’d also killed a lot of members of the organisation. They were still out there but the two people who had put you through hell were dead.

It was after living in the tower for nearly six months you’d decided to finish your degree. You’d finished up online Steve and Bucky were your biggest supporters. Bucky gained back a lot of his memories from the forties. There were still many things he could not remember but you and Steve always cautioned him not to strain himself.

It was not all roses though.

You and Winter weren’t exaggerating when you said you were fucked up. There were till nights were you both woke up screaming. Days when the memories were too much and you couldn’t find the will to move. But the three of you helped each other.

Steve never seemed to regret finding you both. He never ran. And he never wavered on his promise.

“I do.” You hummed, burying your chest into his chest. “Where’s Winter?”

“I think he’s in the kitchen.” Steve said, making you groan. “He’s not that bad a cook.” He chuckled.

“That’s because you have a super solider stomach.” You said, sitting up. “Let’s save Stark’s kitchen.” You sighed, running a hand through your hair.

“Don’t want to deal with a whiny Tony.” Steve agreed.

“Hey Steve, did you mean what you said last night?” You asked.

“I said a few things last night, sweetheart.” Steve said, pushing a lock of hair behind your ear. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

“About the list.” You giggled, leaning into his hand.

“Of course, I did. I don’t care how many places you write down onto that list, I don’t even care if one of them is Mars, I want to take you and Buck wherever you want to go.” He promised, leaning down to kiss you gently.

“I love you.” You whispered against his lips.

“I love you too sweetheart.” He smiled.

“Hey, if anyone asks there’s always been a hole in this pan, okay?” Bucky yelled, breaking the moment. “That’s the story we’re going with, right?”

“Save the kitchen.” You nodded at Steve who sighed but nodded.

As the two of you moved out of the bedroom Steve turned to you with a smile. 

“While I save the kitchen, you get to choose what you want for breakfast.”

There was a time where you and James had no choice in your lives, but since running the had been full of choices. Those choices had led you to Steve and to your new family.


End file.
